Interview: Actress Erin Cummings Talks ‘The Last Word’ Filming, Being Back in Shreveport-Bossier

Actress Erin Cummings is among the cast of paranormal thriller 'The Last Word,' now filming in Shreveport-Bossier. We talked with the Louisiana native today about what it's like being back in town, growing up in the south and why she's glad to be home.

Early acting career and coming back to film in Shreveport

Michael Buckner, Getty Images

Despite her history with Shreveport, Cummings, who was born in Lafayette, La., said she never expected to be back here to film.

"No, it's so funny! And this is the third movie I've filmed in Shreveport. I did 'Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins' many years ago. And I did 'The Iceman' only a year ago," Cummings said.

A frightening role

"It's based on a true story about a man who was convicted of murder, and there was a lot of evidence to the contrary. In his dying days, he put a curse on everyone involved with the case," Cummings explained. "And oddly enough, this is true, after he was executed, one by one, the DA, the reporter who reported wrong information, people on the jury, really awful things started happening to them. I play someone who is very close to someone who's had a curse put on them."

Growing up in Louisiana

"I was actually born in Lafayette and my dad was in the Air Force," Cummings told 710

Michael Loccisano, Getty Images

KEEL News. "So, I hopped around a bit, went from Lafayette to Omaha to Korea, and then my dad was stationed at Barksdale [Air Force Base] for three years. I attended Bellaire Elementary, I was a cheerleader at Curtis Elementary."

When her dad retired from the military, Cummings' family moved to Huntsville where he could enjoy the Sportsman's Paradise' hunting and fishing. While attending Kilgore College, Cummings told us she'd make the trip to Shreveport "for fun -- I'll leave it at that."

Introducing her castmates to Louisiana culture

Cummings told us one of the things she's looking forward to this weekend is taking her 'The Last Word' co-star Mike Doyle to tonight's big match-up between Parkway and Byrd high schools.

"I am actually off today. Mike is filming all day. But I think he's going to try to say his lines very, very, very, very fast so that he can wrap in time to go to the game tonight," she joked.

'Friday Night Lights' and wanting to be a Parkway High School cheerleader

While she's in town, Erin said the entire cast and crew of "The Last Word" is talking about heading to the State Fair of Louisiana. However, that hasn't stopped the actress from indulging in a little shopping.

"And I went to the outlet mall, and bought way too many clothes," she laughed. "I don't know what happened, all I know is I walked out of there with my wallet much lighter and my hands full of bags."

For Halloween day, Cummings is leaving town to help her charity, Mittens for Detroit, is doing its season launch this coming week. But since there are so many Halloween-themed activities going on in Shreveport-Bossier this weekend, she said it's possible you might stop her dressed up in a costume.

What's changed since she's been gone?

Cummings, who now calls New York home, said she definitely sees Shreveport-Bossier differently now than she did growing up.

"Everything seems so much more spread out. It's very bizarre," she said. "You drive down Barksdale Blvd. and the roller skating rink I used to go to seems so far away now. Parkway High School seems so isolated, and I don't remember that. In my world, it was just this tiny little bubble that I played in."

Cummings added that she's very excited about being able to share some of her history with her co-stars.